Vintage Santa meets Modern Snowflakes

Hi!  The card I'm sharing today took almost no time to make.  Gotta love those.  ;-)

The card base, cardstock layers and patterned paper were pre-cut; all I needed to do was glue them together.  Then, I added a cool vintage-style Santa sticker from a K & Co. pack.  I thought about adding ribbons, or gems, or..., or...., but in the end decided to keep it clean.

K & Co. had put a couple of gems on the sticker, by the sentiment.  That's enough to dress it up!

Thanks so much for coming by today.  :-)

A Krafty Shower

Hi there!  I'm sure today's card looks a bit familiar.  I did similar versions here and here.  I like when hydrangeas rain down, what can I say?  =)

It's a pretty simple card that doesn't need much explanation.  I hope you've enjoyed it today! Take care, my friends.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes - SU; Large Umbrella - DeNami Design Accessories & Tools: Hydrangea punch - Martha Stewart; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger

A Mellow Moss kind of Christmas...and news

Whoo hoo!  Time for me to start posting some Christmas cards.  It's not far off.  Yikes!  I never feel prepared, even though the date never changes from year to year.  ;-)

Both cards featured today have something in common:  a Mellow Moss card base.  The first card sports a 'tree' (branch stamp from All That Glitters - Flourishes), with a punched ornament dangling from it.  The Stampin' Up! Ornament Punch has white-embossed flowers from Elements of Style on it.  The sentiment is from a Mark's Finest Papers set, the name of which I don't recall.  It's long gone.

The next card has the same K & Co. die cut strip with a holly pattern, but the focal point is a bit different.  The scalloped oval was stamped with Inspired By Stamping's Festive Frames foliage and sentiment.  I topped it off with a snippet of more K & Co. goodness:  holly leaves and berries die cuts.

These cards made good use of some snippets I had on hand, and it made the creating go much faster.

As for my news:  sadly, I've had to step down from The Card Concept design team.  I've got too much on my plate in my personal life.  Being on a DT is a challenge for me right now, so I had to say goodbye.  I really like the ladies at The Card Concept.  Everyone is so easy going, supportive and kind.  I will miss being part of their team.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks so much for stopping by.  :)

Eclectic Anniversary

Hi!  What do you think:  is this eclectic?

I used skinny strips of patterned paper from a Stampin' Up! scrap bag, and arranged them in a random kind of pattern on a cream panel.  After securing the panel to the card, I added some Tattered Leaves (Tim Holtz/Sizzix) which had been gussied up.  A fern stamp from Stampin' Up!'s Touch of Nature gave the leaves a bit of subtle interest, stamped in black, and then some smudges of gold Smooch ink provided some luster.

The sentiment at the bottom is from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings, on a hand-trimmed banner.

I was trying to do something different from my usual, but I'm not sure I strayed too far after all!  LOL

Stamps: Everyday Sayings - Hero Arts; fern from Touch of Nature - SU Paper: Creamy Caramel, cream/black patterns, Whisper White - SU; green (?) Ink: black - Rubber Stampede; gold Smooch ink Fibers: gold/cream twine - SU Accessories & Tools: Tattered Leaves die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix

Bold black and white birthday card

Hello, friends!  Sharing a card that doesn't need too much explanation today.  It was my mother's birthday card earlier this fall.  My mom loooooves black and white, so there's ample amounts of those colors here.  I had to add a bit of green to liven things up a little.

American Crafts makes a pretty rosette ribbon (you can find some HERE at Create For Less, an online store) that I used to make the flower on this card.  Just wound it around into a circle, secured it to a black circle die cut with Aleene's Tacky Glue, and topped it off with a pretty gem.

Thank you so much for coming by!

Stamps: Think Big Favorites #12 - Papertrey Ink Paper: white - PTI; black and white pattern - SU Halloween pattern Ink: black Fibers: black ribbon - Stamp Simply Ribbon Store; black rosette ribbon - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: gem - Recollections; Branch with Leaves die - Sizzix 

Beach-inspired post card for a wedding

Hello!  Yes, two days in a row, I've got wedding cards to share.  :-)  There sure are a lot of couples hitched to be married out there!  Hoping my handmade cards help make the big day a special one.

This card reminds me of a (somewhat) vintage post card.  My favorite thing is the focal point:  a jumble of shells, surrounded by a cork frame.

This negative die cut - a piece of cork, cut with a Deckled Rectangle die from Spellbinders - was lying about.  I was not sure what to do with it, but then it struck me that it would make a good frame for these bits of sea life.  A sprinkling of crystal clear glitter and a few pearls make it feel even more beachy.

The papers are from a lovely collection by Prima called Seashore.

Wishing you sunshine, this and every day!

Stamps: sentiments - Fresh Cut Wreaths - Wplus9; Seashells with Round Frame, Seashells with Rectangle Frame - Blockheads Paper Arts Paper: Naturals White - SU; adhesive-backed cork; patterns - Seashore - Prima Ink: Close to Cocoa, Early Espresso - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; assorted Distress Inks - Ranger Accessories & Tools: pearls; clear glitter - Martha Stewart; Large Deckled Rectangles die - Spellbinders

Modern Mr. & Mrs.

Hi there!  One of the cards I recently delivered to A Beautiful Touch in Westmont NJ is this clean and simple guy right here:

I had some Crumb Cake patterned paper scraps lying around, complete with Crumb Cake cardstock mats (yes, it was another thing in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag ;), already trimmed.  I thought that the little groom's tux and bride's gown images (Hampton Art's Wedding) would look good framed by them.

The gold-embossed circular sentiment is from the same set.

Have a beautiful day!

Stamps: sentiment, dress, suit - Wedding - Hampton Art Paper: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Crumb Cake, patterned - SU Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: gold embossing powder - SU; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder - SU; circle punch

A Custom Creation: roses for a friend's mom

Hello everyone!  Happy Monday.  :-)  A friend of mine requested a custom card for her mother, who was finishing up chemo treatments.  This card celebrates a major milestone for that family, and I was beyond thrilled to create something so very special:

My friend's mom loves:

• the color purple
• roses
• sparkly things :-) 

I had an image from Close To My Heart's Topiaries that fit the scheme perfectly, and made sure to add glittery spots, along with pearly ones, in the leaves.

I am beyond thrilled for my friend's mom, and for all those who love her.  Wishing her God's blessings in abundance.  :-)

Stamps: Topiaries - Close to my Heart Paper: Orchid Opulence, Always Artichoke, Whisper White - SU Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: iridescent gem - Recollections; Copic markers; iridescent stickles, White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Victoria embossing folder - Cuttlebug

Messy Leaves

Hey there!  Happy Friday!  Today's card was fun to put together.  Boy, did I make a mess!  Usually, I like staying very clean; yeah, I'm one of those folks.  ;-)   But on the day I made the card below, I wanted to play with inks and paints and embossing powders.  What resulted is a pure, lovely mess....

I used Rubber Stampede's embossing ink refill (liquid form) to sprinkle splotches on the card base, then embossed with gold embossing powder.  The ink saturated the card a bit too much, making some areas a little buckled.  Oh well.

The Tattered Leaves die cuts (Tim Holtz/Sizzix) were inked with so many things, I don't even recall.  I do remember using metallic gold paint on here, smeared around a little.  There are some Onyx sequins from Pretty Pink Posh added around the leaves, and a sentiment from Inspired By Stamping was added to an acorn die cut.

So there you go!  A messy one from me.  :-)  Thanks so much for your visit, and have a fabulous weekend!

Stamps: Happy Fall - Inspired By Stamping Paper: True Black - PTI; dots pattern, Crumb Cake - SU Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Onyx sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Tulip embossing folder, acorn and small leaf die cut - SU; Tattered Leaves die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix; gold embossing powder

CASEing a Crafter: At home, under the stars

Hello friends!  I pinned an adorable card by Paula of Stampinantics on my Pinterest board entitled, "Cards - New Home" a while back.  Recently, I had a chance to become inspired by it, and create my own version:

I love the Stampin' Up! set, Good Neighbors.  That's what drew me to Paula's card in the first place. She created a lovely, large moon behind her houses, and I riffed on that by sponging lots of dark plum and black inks around the edges.  Speckled stamps from SU's Itty Bitty Backgrounds became stars.

Just so happens that I had these little houses in my box of cast-offs from a project long ago.   I lined them up along a dark 'street', and stamped a Papertrey Ink sentiment there.

A big thanks to Paula for sharing such an awesome creation with all of us.  It's a neat idea!

And thank YOU for coming to see my creation today!  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps: Good Neighbors, Itty Bitty Backgrounds - Stampin' Up!; Daily Designs Sentiments - PTI Paper: white, True Black - PTI; Elegant Eggplant - SU Ink: Lavender Lace, Perfect Plum, Lovely Lavender, Basic Black - SU; Versamark - Tsukineko; white craft ink - Ranger Accessories & Tools: white embossing powder; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Hello, Teal

Hi there!  One of my not-so-fave retired colors from Stampin' Up! is Taken With Teal. Always kind of avoided using it, but I do hate waste.   I made a few cards with the teal cardstock, and this is one of them:

And you know, it kind of grew on me.  :-)  It ain't so bad after all.

The sentiment from Fiskars' All Year Greetings says "hello," but this is actually a birthday card.  I like being able to stretch my stamps as much as I can.  A Spellbinders' Corner Flourish die cut in black -- times 2, placed end-to-end -- helped create the central focal point.

Thank you so much for coming by today!

Stamps: All Year Greetings - Fiskars Paper: Taken With Teal - SU; True Black, white - PTI Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Corner Flourish die - Spellbinders; blue gems - Michaels

Baby card re-do's

Hello everyone!  These baby cards have been with me for, oh, let's just say...TOO long.  ;-)  The reason I saved them is because the sentiments stamped inside had bled through to the back of the card.  NOT COOL.

When I first began stamping, the only black ink I had was from Stampin' Up!  Over time, I noticed that a stamped image/sentiment would bleed around the edges, and through to the other side, on white cardstock.  Ditched that. Found other inks that work better and stand the test of time (Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black - both by Tsukineko).

So, what to do with the cards that looked crummy?  Re-do!  Yaaaayy.....just what I always wanted to do.  Not.

For both baby cards here today, I trimmed off the front of the card and mounted the whole panel on a white card base (using Papertrey Ink's white cardstock -- seriously the best I've found, and want nothing else.  The white is so crisp, and the heavyweight paper makes a great base.)

Inside the 'new' cards, I stamped a great sentiment from Ali Edwards / Technique Tuesday's Sweet Baby set.  Doesn't it just make you say, "Awww"?

And now, to say "bye-bye baby" to these cards.  They are off to the shop!

Stamps: Simple Shapes, Simple Somethings - Stampin' Up!; Sweet Baby - Ali Edwards/Technique Tuesday 

For The Happy Couple

Happy Monday!  I'm still working my way through posting all of the cards I've made over the last couple of months.  Yes, I was in the attic studio a lot. ;)

Here is a beach-themed creation that went to A Beautiful Touch in Westmont, NJ for sale:

To help speed things up, when it comes to creating cards in a certain theme, I've devised a little system:

• I keep a container with certain elements that I know I'll use again and again -- for example, the branch punch-outs -- near my desk at all times.  I use different colors of cardstock that reflect nature (various greens, browns, tans) and keep them all together.  

• Since the beach theme seems so popular with brides right now, I stamp images such as shells, sand dollars, starfish, etc. on scrap pieces of white or cream cardstock.  I may color some, or leave them as-is, then trim and put into a small clear envelope (I save all the clear poly bags that pearls/gems/stickers come in, and use those).

• When it's time to make a card, I pull out those supplies, choose papers in colors of the sea and sand, and begin.

ETA:  adding this in to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge, at the suggestion of my friend Donna!  The theme is "Stamps."  Yay!

I hope you have a wonderful week, my friends!

Stamps: sentiment - Happy Ever After - Papertrey Ink; sand dollar, shell - Blockheads Paper Arts

Paper: River Rock, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip - SU; pattern - Seashore - Prima Fibers: abaca fiber ribbon Accessories & Tools: branch punch - Martha Stewart; pearls; Swirl border punch - EK Success

A birthday for Handsome

Happy Halloween, if you celebrate that holiday!  I've got a non-Halloween, yet still autumnal, card to share with you today.

Once again, I delved into my bits & pieces to try to use up scraps of paper and stamped items that had no home.  Threw them all together on a Taken With Teal card base, and added a sentiment from Hero Arts / Year Round Sentiments.  Boom, done!

Even the pre-threaded corduroy button was in my scrap bag, already secured to the sweetest little die-cut envelope.  My Stampin' Up! demonstrator had threaded the button with a super skinny strip of paper.  How clever is that!

Not sure just how masculine this card is, but there's gotta be a guy out there somewhere who would appreciate this birthday greeting!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Stamps: sentiment - Year Round Sentiments - Hero Arts; acorn - Autumn Harvest; brown long leaf - Natural Beauty - SU; Polka dot maple leaf - Happy Fall - Inspired By Stamping; large yellow maple leaf - Thankful Leaves - My Favorite Things Paper: Taken With Teal, all patterns, Naturals White, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip - SU Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Close to Cocoa, More Mustard - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: brown corduroy button, envelope die - SU; white gel pen - Marvy; Labels Eight die - Spellbinders

Leaves Aglow for You

Hello!  For those of you who have followed my blog for some time, do you remember THIS card from 2013? I had made a few originals in 2009, and did a dressed-up version last year.

Well, this is another re-do/update for today's post.  I think this one's my favorite so far.

What the pictures don't show you is how the leaves on the large panel are clear-embossed, and all the 'glowing light' between them was sponged on after the leaves were in place.

For the update, I added some sparkly gold glitter tape from Inspired By Stamping, as well as some newly-stamped leaves from the original Autumn Fest set / Stampin' Up!  The sentiment is from IBS, as well.

Raise your hand if you sometimes save cards you've made, just 'cause you like how they turned out. (Raising hand here.)  Yep, that's what happened with this autumn card.  Saved it for 5 years.  Ahem. Proud to say today's card DID finally go to someone else, so that she can share it with another person.

Thank you SO, so, SO much for joining me today!

Stamps: sentiment - All Year Wishes 1 - Inspired By Stamping; leaves - Autumn Fest - Stampin' Up! Paper: More Mustard - SU; white - PTI Ink: so many! all Stampin' Up!; Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: vintage thread Accessories & Tools: gold glitter tape - Inspired By Stamping

The Card Concept #22 - Thank-Fall

Welcome!  Time for another Card Concept challenge, and the theme is "Thank-fall."

Here's the inspiration photo.  I picked the colors and pumpkins as the basis for my card, and made sure to keep the elegance factor going, since that is my style for the challenge (Classy & Elegant). You can see the whole list of styles here, if you'd like to play along with us.

This punch art pumpkin is very easy to make.  I have a quick tutorial in THIS post to show how I made mine.

Sure hope you get a chance to come play with us.  The challenge is open for two weeks, and it's just for fun.  Fall fun, that is!